SAD fields Sant Brar against Manpreet
For the first time post-1966, the party has picked a candidate who is not from Badal clan
Gidderbaha/Chandigarh, January 9
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has fielded Sant Singh Brar from Gidderbaha. It is for the first time after the 1966 re-organisation of states that the party has fielded somebody not related to the Badal clan from the constituency.

Cong changes nominees on 3 seats
New Delhi/Chandigarh,
January 9
Facing a revolt on more than 24 seats, the Congress high command tonight decided to change nominees on three seats. Councillor Rajinder Beri replaces Raj Kumar Gupta in Jalandhar Central. The high command had allocated this seat to Gupta, ignoring Surinder Singla’s claims. Gurpreet Kaur Dhaliwal has been allotted the Mansa seat. She is the daughter-in-law of sitting MLA Sher Singh
Gaggowal.

Black money: Kusumjit orders checking of govt vehicles too
Chandigarh, January 9
To strengthen the monitoring of use and carrying of black money, Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu today ordered the checking of all government vehicles along with others. “I do not want anybody spared. Even if they see my vehicle on Punjab roads, they should check me,” Kusumjit Sidhu said, adding that the possibility of finding black money was no less in government vehicles. “Why should they be spared?” she asked.

Will contest for family’s prestige: Dolly
Sohana (Mohali), January 9
In the present political scenario, contesting the elections from the Dera Bassi constituency as an Independent has now become a matter of family prestige, said Manpreet Kaur Dolly, late Akali leader Capt Kanwaljit Singh’s daughter, indicating that she was keen to succeed her father’s political legacy.

Bir Devinder not to contest elections
Fatehgarh Sahib, January 9
Former Vidhan Sabha deputy speaker Bir Devinder Singh has decided not to contest assembly elections this time, despite pressure from his supporters and well wishers to contest as an Independent from the Fatehgarh Sahib constituency.

Raninder allotted
ticket on merit, says Preneet
Samana, January 9
Breaking her silence, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Preneet Kaur, said that accusations levelled by Malvinder Singh, estranged brother of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee
(PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh, that she had backed Raninder Singh's application for seeking Congress ticket was completely baseless.

On road to awareness: NGO activists paste posters on a van educating people on the power of the ballot. Tribune photo

Potable water main demand here
The contest here has turned interesting with Sukhdev Singh Chahal, known to be close to Congress Legislature Party leader Rajinder Kaur
Bhattal, in the fray on the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) ticket. Chahal was an aspirant for the Congress ticket but following the party decision to re-nominate sitting MLA Jeetmohinder Singh
Sidhu, he joined the PPP.

A Tribune series on government performance: women
Govt held the hand, the lift didn’t come
This is one sphere in which the SAD could have no way failed in delivering its promises in the 2007 manifesto. It did not make any.
To be fair, if women's welfare has been low on priority for the state government, it is a legacy of all preceding governments in this land that is guilty of killing its unborn girls, as is evident from the poor gender ratio.

Most schemes were limited to the girl child, while ‘womenhood’ at large continued to suffer.

Crackdown on female foeticide
The government had success in managing to add 17 girls to the sex ratio of 876 girls per 1,000 boys recorded in 2001, to make it 893. However, this figure is still well short of the national average of 940. The only consolation is that Punjab figures higher in gender ratio than the neighbouring Haryana (877) and far higher than Chandigarh (818), especially since the latter has the country’s eighth highest literacy rate, as compared to Punjab's 17th position.

Crime against women continued unabated
Looking at the crime statistics, it does not seem the state government was able to substantially improve the safety environment for women. Dowry deaths, rape, cruelty by a relative or husband, molestation, female foeticide, and desertion of wives by NRIs continued.

statue covered
Patiala: The statue of Sardara Singh Kohli, grandfather of Patiala Mayor Ajit Pal Singh Kohli, was today covered with a cloth after The Tribune highlighted that it was a violation of the model code of conduct.—TNS

Cong puts up united face in Samana
Samana, January 9
Accompanied by hundreds of Congress workers at a market here, the scion of Patiala Royal family, Raninder Singh Tikku as he initiated his election campaign in the constituency today morning. Along with his mother Preneet Kaur, who is Patiala MP, Raninder got a shot in the arm as all the Congress leaders, who had applied for the party ticket from Samana announced to support the party's official nominee.

Mata Kaushalya scheme hit by fund shortage
Patiala, January 9
For the past one-month, the Health and family Welfare Department has failed to make payments to the women, who had delivered their children in government hospitals, due to non-release of funds by the Punjab government.

54 undertrials miss court hearing daily
Chandigarh, January 9
In Punjab, nothing less than 54 undertrials, on an average, daily fail to keep their date with the court.
Available information suggests, as many as 4,921 could not be presented before the trial courts during three months ending December last.

Encroachment in Ferozepur Cantt
HC tells CBI to probe
Chandigarh, January 9
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will probe the alleged usurping of Central Government property over a period of four decades in Ferozepur Cantonment.

SAD fields Sant Brar against Manpreet
For the first time post-1966, the party has picked a candidate who is not from Badal clan
Sarbjit Dhaliwal & Naveen S Garewal/TNS

Gidderbaha/Chandigarh, January 9
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has fielded Sant Singh Brar from Gidderbaha. It is for the first time after the 1966 re-organisation of states that the party has fielded somebody not related to the Badal clan from the constituency.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had lost from Gidderbaha to the late Harcharan Singh Brar by a narrow margin in 1967. He won the seat in 1969. In 1992, the SAD boycotted the assembly elections and Congress' Raghubir Singh won the seat.

The seat was declared vacant in 1995 and in the ensuing byelection, SAD nominee Manpreet Singh Badal was elected with a margin of about 2,500 votes. He was re-elected from this constituency in 1997, 2002 and 2007, each time with a larger margin. This time Manpreet is contesting the seat as the People's Party of Punjab candidate.

A Congress rebel, Brar had contested against Manpreet as an Independent in 2007 and finished second. He was denied the Congress ticket in 2007. There were reports that Harsimrat Kaur Badal would be the SAD candidate from Gidderbaha. But after much thinking, the Chief Minister decided against it. In its final list announced today, The SAD also named seven other candidates. The Akali Dal is contesting 94 seats while the remaining 23 (of the total 117) are being contested by the BJP.

Former hockey captain and Olympian Pargat Singh has been fielded from Jalandhar Cantt to counter Congress’ Jagbir Singh Brar, who defected to the party from the People’s Party of Punjab recently.

Pargat Singh, said to be Sukhbir’s choice, recently quit the Punjab Police to be permanently absorbed as Director of Sports, Punjab, the post he held till now. He is credited for contributing a lot for improving sports infrastructure in the state and successfully conducting two World Cup Kabaddi championships.

In Muktsar, the SAD has fielded Kanwarjit Singh Barkandi, an aide of Sukhbir Badal and son of Muktsar SAD District president Manjit Barkandi. The contest here would be between him and sitting MLA Sunny Brar’s wife Karan Brar.

Prem Mittal has been chosen to lead the party in Mansa. A former Congress man, he was the senior Deputy Mayor in Ludhiana and later switched sides to join the SAD. Similarly, the Samrala seat has been given to former SGPC member Kirpal Singh Khirnia, father of sitting SAD MLA Jagjiwan Singh Khirnia. This is perhaps the only seat where a father has replaced the son, it is generally otherwise.

The Bathinda (Rural) seat has been allotted to Darshan Singh Kotfatta. Baba Bakala, a reserved seat, has been given to Khadur Sahib sitting MLA Manjit Singh Mianwind. In Jandiala, the SAD has announced the name of Baljit Singh Jalausman, who won the SGPC elections in September last as a rebel candidate after being denied the SAD ticket in spite of being the sitting SGPC member. He is reportedly close to Youth Akali Dal president Bikram Majithia. Balwant Singh Shahpur has been fielded from Nabha (Reserved).

New Delhi/Chandigarh,
January 9
Facing a revolt on more than 24 seats, the Congress high command tonight decided to change nominees on three seats. Councillor Rajinder Beri replaces Raj Kumar Gupta in Jalandhar Central. The high command had allocated this seat to Gupta, ignoring Surinder Singla’s claims. Gurpreet Kaur Dhaliwal has been allotted the Mansa seat. She is the daughter-in-law of sitting MLA Sher Singh
Gaggowal.

The party high command has fielded former Mayor of Amritsar Sunil Datti in place of Simpreet Kaur Bhatia from Amritsar East. A greenhorn, Bhatia was allocated the ticket on compassionate grounds as her husband Jagdish
Bhatia, a Congress leader, was killed in a road accident a few weeks ago. The BJP has fielded
Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Sidhu from this constituency.

The party has replaced Ashwani Kumar “Pappu” with Karamjit Singh “Rintu” in Amritsar North. It had shortlisted eight seats for changing nominees but finally decided on three. The Sujanpur seat has been allocated to Vinay
Mahajan. The Bhoa seat in Gurdaspur has been given to Balbir Singh Fatehpuria.

Meanwhile, the Congress men who have missed the ticket bus are now being promised the moon by Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh. The Congress has formed a
‘reconciliation committee’ headed by Ramesh Singla, who is visiting leaders threatening to rebel.

The Pradesh Congress party office here is working round the clock, inviting disgruntled leaders for a meeting with Capt Amarinder Singh. The Congress is trying to contain dissidence with sources saying the party may face trouble on at least 30 seats.

The Congress is alarmed at the aggressive manner in which SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal is wooing Congress dissidents. Party sources said the Congress had wooed back at least 15 dissidents. Some leaders who had been denied the party ticket had promised support to the official nominees during their meeting with the PCC chief. However, a few had refused to not relent and would contest as Independents.

Among those who have been wooed back is Tejinder
Bittu. Bittu said he had met the PCC chief and had assured him his support. He said he had told Amarinder it was up to him to “adjust” him later. Amarinder loyalist Lalli
Jawanda, a ticket aspirant from Dhuri, has also been won back.

Senior leader Lalli Majithia from Majitha said he had told the PCC president that he would contest from Majitha as an Independent because the party had fielded a weak candidate in Shailender Shelly.

Chandigarh, January 9
To strengthen the monitoring of use and carrying of black money, Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu today ordered the checking of all government vehicles along with others. “I do not want anybody spared. Even if they see my vehicle on Punjab roads, they should check me,” Kusumjit Sidhu said, adding that the possibility of finding black money was no less in government vehicles. “Why should they be spared?” she asked.

No more transfers

The employees who have been fearing a transfer on account of being posted in the home district or having completed three years in a place can heave a sigh of relief. They would not be transferred out as the EC has now put a bar on any more transfers.

“It does not make sense. It seems certain deputy commissioners are trying to settle scores with their subordinates now. Why were these employees not transferred earlier? We have been asking the state to transfer such employees since July,” she said. However, the EC will keep a strict watch on the activities of such employees. “They would not be spared if they are found helping any candidate,” said Kusum. The newly appointed medical and veterinary officers in the state who had not joined after their selection and before the code coming into effect cannot join their duty, as per the directions from the EC. About 50-55 doctors and veterinarians are yet to join.

Interviews okayed

The Commission has, however, given approval to hold interviews of the contract faculty for the current semester to Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar.

Majithia in trouble

The landing of SAD candidate, Bikram Singh Majithia at Punjab Armed Police headquarters at Jalandhar yesterday was against the law, said CEO Kusumjit Sidhu. She said she had spoken to the DGP and told him that anybody using a chopper had to seek permission from the district magistrate concerned. Majithia did not seek any permission and the PAP authorities allowed him to land in their ground and he was not even frisked, she said. “I have made it clear that anybody who lands in a chopper, except the Chief Minister, has to be frisked,” she said.

Dy CM’s photos removed

The slogans and photographs of Deputy CM have been removed or painted over from 226 water tanks and 933 RO water plants installed under the state government’s rural water supply and sanitation schemes in the villages, said
Kusumjit.

DCs to check rolls

The Election Commission is unhappy over the fact that a mere 1.3 per cent of those in the 18-19 age bracket have enrolled themselves as voters. Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjit Sidhu, during a video conference today, asked the DCs to ensure that no fake voter was enrolled during the January 2, 3 and 4 revision of poll rolls.

The number of voters in these three days had gone up by 2 lakh, which the CEO said was abnormally high.

“We have been asked to randomly check the lists where too many voters had been enrolled during these three days,” said Rahul Tewari, Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana.

The election department had registered 1,74,33,767 voters and 2 lakh more were added on January 2, 3 and 4.

Directive to NGO

The UMEED Foundation has been asked not to use pictures and slogans on the ambulances, vans, bags, publicity material distributed owned by the foundation because the owner of foundation is contesting elections. If these were left displayed after he files his nomination then the cost would be added to his election expenditure.

Directions to Roadways

All advertisements of the Punjab Government have been removed from the state transport buses as per the reports received from GM Roadways by the DC
Patiala.

Sohana (Mohali), January 9
In the present political scenario, contesting the elections from the Dera Bassi constituency as an Independent has now become a matter of family prestige, said Manpreet Kaur Dolly, late Akali leader Capt Kanwaljit Singh’s daughter, indicating that she was keen to succeed her father’s political legacy.

Incidentally, her brother and Banur MLA Jasjit Singh Bunny has announced to back SAD’s Dera Bassi candidate NK Sharma.

Accompanied by her mother Surjit Kaur, Dolly visited the spot at Khanpur where her father and former Cooperation Minister had died in a tragic accident.

She later paid obeisance at Gurdwara Singh Saheeda, Sohana, here.

Upset over allotting of ticket to Sharma, Surjit Kaur said the party had failed to recognise the work done by her late husband. “I always believed that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would consult me before deciding on the seat,” she said.

The mother and daughter duo ruled out the poXssibility of contesting on any seat other than Dera Bassi. Dolly said she would file the nomination papers on January 11, indicating that her mother could be become her covering candidate.

Fatehgarh Sahib, January 9
Former Vidhan Sabha deputy speaker Bir Devinder Singh has decided not to contest assembly elections this time, despite pressure from his supporters and well wishers to contest as an Independent from the Fatehgarh Sahib constituency.

After a meeting with his supporters and well wishers at his native Kotla Bhai Ka village today, he said though he was approached by certain political leaders, including Manpreet Singh Badal of the People's Party of Punjab (PPP), KD Singh, MP-cum Punjab affairs incharge of the Trinamool Congress, and Mulayam Singh Yadav, president of the Samajwadi Party.

He said that he politely turned down the appeal of Manpreet Badal to contest elections from Mohali by stating that his offer was too late.

He said that he had considerable supporters in Mohali, Khara, Bassi Pathana and Fatehgarh Sahib assembly constituencies, which he had represented. He made it clear that his political options were open and he would follow the course, which would be good for the state and people of these areas.He said after assembly elections, he would initiate bigger schemes in Punjab.

Samana, January 9
Breaking her silence, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Preneet Kaur, said that accusations levelled by Malvinder Singh, estranged brother of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh, that she had backed Raninder Singh's application for seeking Congress ticket was completely baseless.

Speaking to The Tribune on the sidelines of an election rally of Raninder at Samana town today, Preneet said, "It's a completely wrong statement. Raninder got the ticket on merit."

On Malvinder Singh joining the SAD, Preneet said, "Look, we are Congress people and working for the party tirelessly. Every party has development and changes. All I want to say is that we will keep on working and strengthening our party."

Regarding Malvinder's campaigning for the Akalis and asking the electorate not to vote for the Congress, she said, "Since Malvinder is in the rival party, it is his political compulsion to make statements against the Congress."

On Raninder's election prospects, Preneet said that she was very jubilant the way Raninder had started his election campaign with a great head start. Responding to another query that whether new face of the Congress in Samana - Raninder would be able to win the elections by more margin than 2007, when the Congress registered a victory in Samana, Preneet said that she was absolutely confident that Raninder would certainly come up with flying colours and wrest the seat with a very handsome lead.

The contest here has turned interesting with Sukhdev Singh Chahal, known to be close to Congress Legislature Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, in the fray on the People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) ticket. Chahal was an aspirant for the Congress ticket but following the party decision to re-nominate sitting MLA Jeetmohinder Singh Sidhu, he joined the PPP.

Having contested the previous three assembly elections from this constituency, each time on a different symbol, Sidhu says he could not stop development works initiated during the Congress regime from being shifted to areas that had elected SAD candidates. Sidhu, who had left the SAD to join the Congress, is considered close to state Congress chief Amarinder Singh.

The main town in this constituency is Takht Damdama Sahib. It has been in the headlines for being the ‘cancer capital’ of Punjab.

Projects: Residents have no potable water, irrigation facilities are poor and drug abuse among the youth is rampant. The 1320 MW thermal power project sanctioned for the area during the Congress regime was shifted to Banawali in Mansa district, says Sidhu. An institute to help prepare the youth for recruitment in the defence services has been shifted to Kaljhirani near Badal village. “Union Minister Ambika Soni had sanctioned Rs 80 crore for beautifying the town but the money has not been properly spent,” says Sidhu.

The recent delimitation has split the constituency, detaching 32 villages from the segment and adding an equal number of villages.

VOX POPULI: Residents of Giana, Jhajjal and Malkana appreciate the CM for having installed reverse osmosis (RO) plants in their villages. But Sidhu claims that the SAD government has not done anything to provide fiscal aid to cancer patients. “Every household in the main town was provided tap water facility in 2006 on my initiative,” he claims.

LOOKING BACK: Sidhu won the 2007 elections on the Congress ticket by defeating Amarjit Singh Sidhu of the SAD by 3,790 votes. In 2002, Sidhu contested as an Independent. He defeated Harminder Singh Jassi (Congress) who had trounced him in the 1997 elections when Sidhu had contested on the SAD symbol.

This constituency was represented by Capt Amarinder Singh who won as the SAD candidate in 1985 after quitting the Congress in protest against Operation Bluestar. Capt Amarinder Singh launched his recent ‘Punjab Bachao Yatra’ from here.

It was from this constituency that SAD candidate Harsimrat Kaur Badal secured a lead here over her rival Raninder Singh, Capt Amrinder’s son, in the last Lok Sabha elections.

Jalandhar, January 9
Buckling under pressure from within the party, the Congress today replaced its Jalandhar Central candidate former MLA Raj Kumar Gupta with councillor Rajinder Beri.

Beri and four other Congress councilors, Jagdish Raj Raja, Kuljit Babbi, Mandeep Kaur Multani and Manjit Kaur Kahlon, along with two former councillors, Balvir Singh and Mahinder Singh Gulu, had been opposing the candidature of Gupta, saying that since the latter had switched over to the BJP on being denied the ticket in the last assembly elections, he should not be given a chance this time.

The councillors had threatened to resign from the party. They had even announced that either Beri or Raja would contest as an Independent candidate if the party did not replace Gupta.

A Tribune series on government performance: women
Govt held the hand, the lift didn’t come
An initiative was taken by the govt in bringing women’s issues to the forefront, with a few schemes that took note of the need for their uplift. The gender ratio also saw a slight improvement. Basic issues affecting women’s lot, however, remained unaddressed
Kanchan Vasdev
Tribune News Service

This is one sphere in which the SAD could have no way failed in delivering its promises in the 2007 manifesto. It did not make any.

To be fair, if women's welfare has been low on priority for the state government, it is a legacy of all preceding governments in this land that is guilty of killing its unborn girls, as is evident from the poor gender ratio.

In fact, the present government could be credited for improving this ratio slightly from 876 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001 to 893 last year, following a monetary incentive to mothers of newly born girls. It also got tough on implementing the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act.

Under a scheme dubbed by many as populist, 1.1 lakh cycles were distributed among high-school girls. On the dark side, violence against women continued unabated.

An incident that showed the government in particularly poor light was the public slapping of a woman teacher by a village sarpanch in Gidderbaha on December 5, 2010. She and her colleagues were trying to submit a memorandum to SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur. The “unprovoked” assault and the subsequent handling of the case made for much bad press. Pictures of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal later giving the teacher a comforting hug appeared, but the damage had been done.

Two schemes

The present government launched only two major schemes for girls and women. The first came halfway down the tenure, when it launched the Mata Kaushalya Scheme that involved paying Rs 1,000 to every woman who delivered a girl in a government hospital. The scheme led to a threefold increase in deliveries in government hospitals, which is also believed to have partially contributed to the improvement in gender ratio.

The other major benefit, the Mai Bhago Scheme, was launched only a year back. It involved distribution of 1.11 lakh bicycles to girls belonging to the economically weaker sections of society at a cost of Rs 30 crore. In all, Rs 75 crore was set aside in the 2011-2012 budget for this scheme.

“This year, we provided cycles only to girls of classes 11 and 12. During the next financial year, the scheme will be extended to classes 9 and 10 too,” said Rajnish Kumar Jassra, Deputy Director, Department of Social Security, Women and Child Welfare.

The government had success in managing to add 17 girls to the sex ratio of 876 girls per 1,000 boys recorded in 2001, to make it 893. However, this figure is still well short of the national average of 940. The only consolation is that Punjab figures higher in gender ratio than the neighbouring Haryana (877) and far higher than Chandigarh (818), especially since the latter has the country’s eighth highest literacy rate, as compared to Punjab's 17th position.

To its credit, the SAD government was more stringent in enforcing the PNDT Act compared to the preceding Congress government. Prior to 2007, it was not difficult for a pregnant woman to get her foetus aborted after getting the gender determined, usually done after 14 weeks of pregnancy. However, soon after talking over the reins in 2007, the government tightened the noose around medical establishments involved in this practice, making it difficult to get a foetus aborted after 10 weeks of pregnancy. This is believed to have contributed greatly to improving the sex ratio.

The stringent measures included a series of periodic crackdowns. During its tenure, the government suspended licences of 322 out of a total 1,296 ultrasound scan centres in the state, cancelled licences of 34 others and initiated 24 court cases, according to state Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Satish Chandra.

As even the improved gender ratio shows, plenty more remains to be done in this direction.

Looking at the crime statistics, it does not seem the state government was able to substantially improve the safety environment for women. Dowry deaths, rape, cruelty by a relative or husband, molestation, female foeticide, and desertion of wives by NRIs continued.

The high incidence of crime against women was serious enough for Member Secretary of the Punjab State Women's Commission Sarvesh Kaushal to write to the state Chief Secretary in 2009, saying, “Despite the Domestic Violence Act already operational, such insensitivity to the cause of women is baffling. The same is also true of the other burning issue of female foeticide, in which only 11 cases have been registered in five months.” He had cited figures for the first five months of 2009 (January to May), during which 153 women were raped, 222 kidnapped and another 130 molested. This was in addition to 70 women who were murdered, 55 who were driven to commit suicide and 39 who lost their lives for inability to “satisfy” their in-laws' dowry demand.

One hurdle in improving women’s lot is their status in the larger society, which continues to deny equality.

As many as 1.1 lakh bicycles painted in Akali colours were distributed among girl students in 2010-11.

Gurdev Kaur Sangha, Chairperson of the Punjab State Women’s Commission, said: “We have taken up the issue of women’s rights violations and addressed a number of cases related to domestic violence. Unfortunately, despite all the government has done to empower women, the fact remains they are still facing discrimination at the hands of their family and society at large,” irrespective of whether they were rich or poor. However, she added the middle class were treating women relatively better.

Men used their clout and money and did not even allow women to get justice. “Just two decades ago, I used to think women would be treated well by their in-laws with women’s literacy on the rise. I believed educated mothers-in-law would treat their daughters-in-law better. Unfortunately, it has only led to the demand for gold in dowry being upgraded to diamonds,” Sangha said. No government could do much if the mindset did not change, she added.

Given the environment against women, Dr Rainuka Dagar, Director (Research), Gender Studies Unit, Institute for Development and Communication (IDC), Chandigarh, said the Punjab government deserved credit for implementing the PNDT Act. “In 1901, the state had a sex ratio of 874 women per 1,000 men. Having a history of skewed gender ratio, the improvement in Punjab is rather encouraging. It is not easy to change the mindset of the people. I am glad political leaders have made a move and brought the issue to the forefront.

Samana, January 9
Accompanied by hundreds of Congress workers at a market here, the scion of Patiala Royal family, Raninder Singh Tikku as he initiated his election campaign in the constituency today morning. Along with his mother Preneet Kaur, who is Patiala MP, Raninder got a shot in the arm as all the Congress leaders, who had applied for the party ticket from Samana announced to support the party's official nominee.

Addressing party workers, Raninder said he would make earnest efforts to ensure overall development in all the areas located in Samana constituency. "I am here to seek your mandate so that I can defeat the Akalis and enter the Punjab assembly to make sure that all the problems of the people of Samana are addressed on priority", said Raninder, while making an appeal to the electorate to vote for the good policies of the Congress.

Later, en route to village Passiana on the Samana road, Raninder said that he would leave no stone unturned to ensure that all those, who had committed atrocities on the Congress workers and leaders at the behest of the Badals be brought to book once the Congress takes over the reigns of the agrarian state of Punjab.

Both Rai and Lal came to file papers with their supporters. Earlier they held separate meetings and criticised the Congress leadership for ignoring the claim of genuine party workers and allotting the ticket to an outsider.

Interestingly, Dr Lal submitted an incomplete set of papers with the SDM-cum-Returning Officer. The nomination papers neither carried affidavit regarding assets and income nor other relevant documents. According to the SDM, a candidate can submit incomplete documents and can submit the remaining documents by January 12.

As per the documents submitted by Rai, his total assets are worth Rs 5.54 crore, including Rs 10 lakh in bank accounts, Rs 2 lakh cash in hand, 60 tolas of gold with his wife and children, 15 acres of land at Mulepur and Naulakha, 8 acres of land in UP, 1/12th share in a petrol pump at Rurki village.

Patiala, January 9
For the past one-month, the Health and family Welfare Department has failed to make payments to the women, who had delivered their children in government hospitals, due to non-release of funds by the Punjab government.

According to information, on an average 1,500 infants are born in various government hospitals in Patiala district every month.

The Mata Kaushalya Kalyan Yojna is being run by the state government under the National Rural Health Mission. Under the scheme, any woman who gets her child delivered in a government hospital gets Rs 1,000.

The department also pays Rs 200 as transport charges for bringing the patient to hospital at the time of delivery and an additional Rs 600 and Rs 700, respectively, to the women from urban and rural areas from BPL or reserved categories.

Civil Surgeon Virinder Singh Mohi said, “They have't received the money from the past one-month as the Centre has delayed the allotment of money for the scheme.”

District Family Planning officer Surinderpal Singh said, “They received an email from the government that they have released the budget for this scheme today itself.” He said they would give the money as soon as it reaches them.

Patiala: Dissidence appears to have become a norm with disgruntled leaders who have been denied ticket by their respective parties. In one such incident here, SAD general secretary (Patiala) Harbaksh Singh Chahal announced in the afternoon on Sunday that he had joined the Congress only to backtrack in the evening saying he was still a "loyal soldier of the Akali Dal". Chahal, it is learnt, even clarified that he took the decision (to join the Congress) under pressure. The Congress workers close to Patiala MP Preneet Kaur said none of them had ever approached Chahal to join the party. "It must be his decision and we do not need such leaders in the fold who can be hijacked twice a day," they said. — Aman Sood

sweet temptation

A 'laddoo' was too tasty to resist for these policemen accompanying a candidate during the filing of nomination in Jalandhar. Tribune photo: Malkiat Singh

SAD breaks the language barrier

Patiala: Even though the SAD-BJP coalition made Punjabi the language of official communication in government departments and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal laid emphasis on its promotion, the Akali Dal has been using English on its election hoardings put up in various parts of Patiala. "We not only promise, we deliver. Vote for performance", read the SAD hoardings. On the other hand, the Congress has been using Punjabi for the purpose. "Navi Soch, Nava Punjab (new thinking, new Punjab)", read Congress hoardings put up next to that of the SAD at YPS Chowk here. — Umesh Dewan

CPS fails to mention plots’ cost

Hoshiarpur: Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mohinder Kaur Josh filed her nomination for Sham Chaurasi (Reserved) seat as a SAD candidate on Monday. According to the affidavit submitted before the returning officer, Josh has two plots in Mohali, five acres of agriculture land in Sainchan village, 17 marlas of commercial land at Piplanwala here. She, however, did not mention the cost of these properties. She has Rs 2.5 lakh cash while her husband has Rs 1 lakh. She has gold jewellery worth Rs 23 lakh. Besides, she owns a car and a motorcycle. — Ravinder Sud

95% PPP candidates newcomers

Gidderbaha: PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal has said most of the candidates so far announced by the party are graduates and 95 per cent of them have never contested any election. “Our character is clean and the people will definitely give us the mandate,” said Manpreet. “Despite my severe throat problem, I will campaign in all 80 constituencies from where the PPP has fielded its candidates. I will cover four constituencies every day,” he added. On his dual candidature, Manpreet, “I have no fear of any other candidate contesting elections against me. This is a joint decision of the party and I don’t want to remain confined to just one constituency”. — Archit Watts

Manpreet Badal gets EC notice

Gidderbaha: Returning officer Puneet Goyal on Monday issued a notice to PPP chief Manpreet Singh Badal after he failed to submit Form 26 while filing nomination. Manpreet filed his papers from both Gidderbaha and Maur constituencies but he did not complete nomination-related formalities in either of the places. Asked the reason behind the hurry, Jaijeet Singh Johal, Manpreet's brother-in-law, replied, "May be Manpreet has been asked by someone (read astrologer) to file nominations on this particular day. Anyways, it was a full moon day." — Archit Watts

Chandigarh, January 9
In Punjab, nothing less than 54 undertrials, on an average, daily fail to keep their date with the court.
Available information suggests, as many as 4,921 could not be presented before the trial courts during three months ending December last.

Justifying the non-production of the undertrials, DS Bains, principal secretary, Department of Home Affairs and Justice, has told the Punjab and Haryana High Court: "The prime reason behind the non-production of the undertrials is only the non-availability of police officials concerned on a particular day due to some emergent work".

On the steps taken for rectification of the problem, Bains asserted in his reply: "Instructions are being issued to the SSPs in all the districts concerned to ensure presence of the undertrials before the trial court on time, so as to avoid unnecessary delay in the conclusion of the trials."

The information, placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover, came on a petition filed by Daljit Singh, lodged at Amritsar Central Jail.

The high court is already hearing a petition on video-conferencing facility, which would bring undertrials in 14 jails face-to-face with 21 courts across Punjab.

For the purpose, Rs 2.23crore already stands sanctioned. Even now, the facility is being provided at 42 locations, including 10 jails and 32 courts.

As a part of the project, Burail jail is also being lined through the facility. Once in place, alleged militant Paramjit Singh Bheora, an accused in Punjab's former chief minister Beant Singh's assassination case and the Burail jailbreak case, would be tried in Chandigarh without moving out of the Tihar Jail.

The information furnished before the high court says the facility is to be provided in jails at Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Faridkot, Nabha, Kapurthala, Moga, Pathankot, Phagwara, Malerkotla, and Fazilka, along with borstal and women jails in Ludhiana.

In two different affidavits it was averred: "After effective functioning of the present video-conferencing facility, the system in remaining 14 jails and 21 courts will be installed".

As of now, the facility is available in Ludhiana, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Barnala, Patiala, Amritsar, Patti, Dasuya and Muktsar jails.

Chandigarh, January 9
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will probe the alleged usurping of Central Government property over a period of four decades in Ferozepur Cantonment.

Acting on a public interest litigation (PIL), the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the premier investigating agency to complete the probe within six months and submit a report.

The development is significant as houses owned by the Centre but in custody of the Cantonment Board were being allegedly transferred by the occupants on the pretext of selling debris or superstructure.

The matter was brought under the high court scanner by Janki Dass of Ferozepur and three other petitioners. In their petition filed through counsel PK Dwivedi, they had sought the quashing of the FIR dated October 29, 2007, under Section 420 and 120-B IPC.

The allegations against the petitioners were that they were instrumental in selling debris by misrepresenting facts on the sale deeds. "On the strength of these sale deeds, the Cantonment Board authorities regularised the possession of the land by granting the property identification numbers, water and electricity connection," the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover observed.

Going into the background of the controversy, the Bench observed: "On April 30, 2010, the court noticed that the position appears to be serious. The houses, which are owned by the Government of India and in the custody of the Cantonment Board, are being transferred by the occupants on the pretext that they are selling debris or superstructure only. Thereafter, such houses are being regularised by allotting them numbers and water connections".

The Bench asserted: "What raised our concern further was the fact that it was stated before us that numerous similar sales had taken placed in the Board, which were regularised by it and in this manner, it seems that the valuable property of the Central Government was being usurped."

"We are of the view that the transaction of the sale and purchase involved in the PIL, as also similar transactions, which may have been executed over a period of time and regularised by the Cantonment Board should be investigated by an independent agency; and the essential facts and conclusions laid before this court in the shape of a report."